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Mumbai Indians (MI) have added the England duo of Jonny Bairstow, Richard Gleeson and Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka as temporary replacements for Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch.An IPL statement said that Bairstow will join at a price of INR 5.25 crore, while fast bowler Gleeson was picked at a reserve price of INR 1 crore and Asalanka for INR 75 lakhs.The replacement players will be available from the playoffs onwards, should MI qualify. Currently, MI and Delhi Capitals (DC) are fighting for the last remaining slot in the top four and they play each other in a crucial game on Wednesday. This will also be MI’s first match since the IPL resumed on May 17 after it was interrupted due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.If Mumbai Indians make the playoffs, these will be their temporary replacements•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jacks will not be available after MI’s last league game on May 26 owing to his commitment with the national team for ODIs against West Indies, while Rickelton and Bosch will join South Africa for their preparations ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. They will all leave after their final league game against Punjab Kings on May 26.Bairstow went unsold at November’s mega auction and has not played for England in any format since June 2024. He has captained Yorkshire in the County Championship this season but will miss Friday’s fixture against Nottinghamshire and their first two T20 Blast fixtures.”These decisions are never straightforward – especially given how much I’ve enjoyed leading Yorkshire this year,” Bairstow said on his Instagram account. “I’m incredibly grateful to the club for understanding, continued support and look forward to getting stuck back in on my return. This is a fantastic opportunity, and I’m excited to contribute to MI’s campaign. Can’t wait to get started and experience the energy of Mumbai.”Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire’s general manager, said: “Whilst it is naturally disappointing to lose Jonny for the next few weeks, the opportunity for him to play in the final stages of the IPL at this stage in his career is huge. Jonny has been open with us around his desire to play in the IPL from our very first conversation with him, and we’d like to wish him the best of luck in the coming weeks.”Bairstow has made 50 IPL appearances across five seasons, having represented Sunrisers Hyderabad (2019-21) and Punjab Kings (2022 and 2024). He has an impressive record in the league, averaging 34.54 and striking at 144.45, and has scored two IPL hundreds – one of them in a record-breaking run chase at Eden Gardens last year.Related

• MI's playoffs rejig: Moody bullish on Bairstow, Asalanka; Jaffer wants more from Tilak

• RCB-SRH moved to Lucknow; IPL playoffs in Mullanpur and Ahmedabad

• Race to IPL 2025 playoffs: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals for final spot

• Purple and Orange caps: Noor, Jaiswal could grab top spots on Tuesday

• LSG's Rathi suspended for one game after Abhishek incident

Gleeson, 37, made his IPL debut last year when he played two matches for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as a replacement player. He is on a white-ball contract with his county, Warwickshire, and will miss their opening two T20 Blast fixtures.Asalanka, Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain, has never played the IPL before and went unsold at the auction last year. He is the latest batter from Sri Lanka, after Kusal Mendis, to travel to India for IPL.For MI, Rickelton is currently the team’s second-highest run-scorer this season behind Suryakumar Yadav, with 336 runs at 30.54 and a strike rate of 153.42 in his 12 innings, while Jacks has also been a mainstay for MI this season, playing 11 of their first 12 league stage games. He has scored 195 runs in nine innings and taken five wickets with his offbreaks.

It could be curtains for RR if they succumb to a seventh defeat in ten games

Shashank Kishore27-Apr-20253:13

Bumrah’s yorkers or Starc’s yorkers? Sai Sudharsan has to choose

Big picture: Two teams with contrasting runsRajasthan Royals need only look as far back as 2024 – the example of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, specifically, for inspiration. They made a stirring run to the playoffs at the back end, surging to six straight wins and qualifying with 14 points. RR need five on the bounce to get to the same points, but do they have the belief, especially after failing to close out three regulation chases?Their climb up the points table will hard, not least because they now face Gujarat Titans, who have quietly built one of the most complete bowling units of IPL 2025, even as Rashid Khan has only shown flashes of his best.Prasidh Krishna, back in the IPL after a long injury layoff, is in the form of his life: 16 wickets at 14.12 and economy rate of 7.29. Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore isn’t far behind, with 12 wickets at 16.33 and an economy of 8.22. Then there’s Mohammed Siraj, bringing the heat, especially in the powerplay, with his zip and late swing.Their batting is equally settled. Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan may not go wham-bam from the start, but they’ve mastered the art of building an innings. Their 448 partnership runs are the highest by any pair this season. They served another reminder of this chemistry during a 114-run opening stand in their previous outing against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.Sai Sudharsan, Gill and Buttler – the former RR star – combined have faced over 80 balls in seven of GT’s eight matches. The formidable top three have taken pressure off a middle order that may seem slightly undercooked on the surface, but they’ve had their moments, like when Rahul Tewatia finished off a final-over chase against Delhi Capitals.3:35

Jaffer: Sai Kishore ‘one of the bright spots’ for GT

RR, by contrast, are a team in search of the right combinations, despite being the fastest scoring team in the powerplay (10.38) along with Punjab Kings (10.37). And that’s because they haven’t been able to maximise Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fast starts and a recent surge in form.Sanju Samson is still injured. Coach Rahul Dravid isn’t sure of a recovery time frame yet. Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer have all struggled for batting rhythm, having now seen three seemingly straightforward chases turn pear-shaped. The burden of winning seems to have fallen squarely on Jaiswal with the bat and Jofra Archer with the ball.GT are surging toward a top two finish. RR are simply trying to stay afloat, having now lost five games on the trot.Related

Bond hopes Rajasthan Royals use rest of the IPL to make gains for next year

Parag: We didn't show enough intent against the spinners

Gill and Sai Sudharsan give a masterclass in low risk, high rewards

Form guideRajasthan Royals LLLLL (Last five, most recent first)Gujarat Titans WWLWWTeam news and likely XIIsTushar Deshpande went for 36 in two wicketless overs in RR’s last game. He hasn’t bowled his full quota in three of their last five games. Akash Madhwal is a tempting option to replace him.Rajasthan Royals (probable): 1 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Sandeep Sharma, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi, 12 Akash MadhwalGT look settled. They’ll likely remain unchanged.Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 B Sai Sudharsan, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Jos Buttler, 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Ishant SharmaRiyan Parag has a lot to think about as Rajasthan Royals stand-in captain•BCCI

In the spotlight: Dhruv Jurel and Prasidh KrishnaDhruv Jurel has struggled against spin, his strike rate of 105 this season a clear indicator. RCB capitalised on this in their previous clash, tightening the screws with Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma in tandem. With a strike rate of 195 against pace, on the other hand, is Jurel better used when fast bowlers are around? An RR batting shuffle could unlock his strengths.Free of injuries, clear of his role of being a hit-the-deck, middle-overs bowler, Prasidh Krishna is enjoying a sensational return to the IPL after two frustrating years on the sidelines. His economy of 5.3 is the season’s best in the middle overs among those who’ve bowled a minimum of 15 overs. He’s also currently the joint-highest wicket-taker along with Josh Hazlewood.The big questionKey stats Jaiswal is 37 away from 2000 IPL runs. He’ll become the third-fastest Indian after Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 innings) and KL Rahul (60 innings) to get here. His 15 powerplay sixes are also the most by a batter this season. Archer has a favourable match-up against Gil in IPLl: three dismissals in five innings. Gill has managed just 10 runs while striking at 67. Hetmyer’s death overs strike rate (156) has considerably dropped from 200 and 192 over the last two seasons. GT’s top three are averaging (53.9), the highest this season. GT’s middle-overs batting has improved drastically from last season. Their strike rate has jumped from 142 to 165, and their average has more than doubled from 26.8 to 61.1.Pitch and conditionsFour of the seven games in Jaipur have been won by the chasing side since last year, with the average first innings score being 184. Day temperatures have crossed 40 degrees celsius; while the evenings will be a tad cooler, there’s no escaping the oppressive heat that will take a toll on the players’ fitness.Quotes”As a middle order, there’s lots of pressure off you by how our top three is batting. Yes, there is not much game time for few of us in the middle order but that’s been compensated in practice.”

Tottenham Hotspur are running out of time to bring a new playmaker to N17, with the transfer cut off fast approaching in just four days’ time.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank, at one stage, appeared set to head into 2025/2026 boasting both James Maddison and Morgan Gibbs-White as his number 10 options.

However, a disastrous chain of events, including an ACL rupture for Maddison, resulted in the Dane having neither England international to choose from.

Gibbs-White’s blocked move to north London, with the 25-year-old eventually signing a new deal instead, was made all the more embarrassing for Daniel Levy when Arsenal hijacked their once very advanced deal for alternative Eberechi Eze.

Following two public transfer humiliations, Levy and Frank are back to the drawing board, searching for another ideal signing to bolster that area of the squad.

A lot of noise in the last 48 hours has surrounded a potential swoop for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta as one intriguing option, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that contact has been made.

Another name gaining traction is that of RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons, who was thought to be on the verge of joining Chelsea.

The Dutchman has already agreed terms over a move to Stamford Bridge, according to reliable media sources, but both Leipzig and Chelsea are still yet to reach a full agreement.

The west Londoners are also looking to offload both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku first, due to a complex settlement with UEFA that demands they sell certain players to balance out the squad.

Tottenham hold talks over bid for Xavi Simons

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are holding talks over a bid for Simons as they look to potentially hijack Chelsea’s deal for the 22-year-old.

Valued at around £60 million – a similar fee to what Spurs were prepared to pay for both Gibbs-White and Eze – this deal appears like a feasible one to do. Leipzig have also confirmed to German news outlet BILD that Simons has been allowed to discuss a transfer away, opening the door for Frank’s side to rival Chelsea.

Matt Law of The Telegraph also reports that, despite the attacker’s fondness for Chelsea, there is optimism that he’d be open to joining Tottenham as well.

Leipzig made Simons their highest-ever paid player on a contract worth £192,000-per-week earlier this year, showing just how highly-rated he is, with Football Transfers also calling him a ‘similar’ player to Maddison.

Last season, the former PSG sensation bagged 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitons, and the Netherlands international is only likely to get even better as he matures.

Jack Grealish has been told that Pep Guardiola isn't to blame for the winger's struggles at Manchester City. Many believe that the attacking talents and flair that Grealish possessed before his move from Aston Villa has been beaten out of him at the Etihad. But former Chelsea man Pat Nevin thinks something else is at play amid the winger's superb start on loan at Everton.

Grealish fell out of favour at Man City

Following his loan switch from City to Everton, Grealish has excelled under David Moyes, bagging four assists in six games. The 30-year-old is taking on and beating defenders with apparent ease, something that became a distant memory at City. But Nevin feels that manager Guardiola should not be raked over the coals for how he used the winger at City.

AdvertisementGettyEverton setup helping Grealish

He told BetIdeas.com: "It is frustrating but certain clubs and the way they play aren't suited to certain players. Everyone seems to think it's just Pep didn't let him drive past players – no. Doku was allowed to drive past players. He wasn't saying ‘Jack you can't and Doku you can’. So there's something else going on there and one of the things that's going on is space behind. If you play for Manchester City you come up against these massive blocks of players all the time. In the last third you may get a lot of the ball but you're just a blocker then, two or three in front of you and if you lose the ball they don't like that. If you're playing at Everton, home or away, you're not kind of coming across that all the time. You find yourself quite often one on one with a defender. That almost never happened to Jack when he was at Man City. So he's given the freedom of space. It was up to him to see if he could react to it. And he's reacted to it brilliantly. Absolutely fantastically. It's the simplest thing of, ‘Get the ball in the last third, go and beat somebody, and if you don't, we don't mind’. The fans will accept that. Now that the manager accepts that, then this is all good for Jack. And you see in his face, he's beaming. He's smiled more in the last month than I've seen in the last year. That tells you a story."

England recall incoming for winger?

Grealish himself admitted he "didn't enjoy football as much" towards the tail end of his time at City, but is loving life with Everton right now. The England international struggled for game time and became less and less effective at the Premier League outfit. But at this rate, he could be in with a shot of getting an England recall for the 2026 World Cup.

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Getty Images SportGrealish targets cup and league progress with Everton

The former Villa man will hope to bag his first goal for Everton when they travel to Premier League basement side Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, before returning to league action on Monday at home to struggling West Ham.

Nottingham Forest are now reportedly willing to pay as much as £26m to complete the signing of a “superb” midfielder this summer.

Nottingham Forest confirm exit & Sels up for award

The Reds are preparing for the new Premier League season, but one player who has sealed a move away from the club is youngster Dale Taylor.

The 21-year-old attacker has completed a permanent move to Blackpool from Forest, with Head of Football Development & Talent Management, Craig Mulholland, wishing him well upon his departure.

“We are delighted to see Dale get such a positive move. His development journey at Forest has been strong and it is credit to Dale, and all of the excellent staff who have worked with him along the way. We have agreed a deal which is great for Dale, Blackpool and also provides us with a positive return on the investment the club has made over many years.”

In other Forest news, goalkeeper Matz Sels’ superb 2024/25 campaign has been rewarded with a nomination for the prestigious Lachine Trophy – an award given to the best ‘keeper in Europe over a 12-month period. The likes of Alisson and Gianliugi Donnarumma are also up for the prize, among others.

Nottingham Forest eye £26m move for midfielder

In terms of transfer news, Sky Italia [via Sport Witness] claim that Nottingham Forest are happy to pay £26m to sign AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah this summer.

The Reds are intending to “close the deal quickly”, securing the services of the 22-year-old in time for the start of the 2025/26 season.

Musah has the ability to be a brilliant signing for Forest if they agree to sign him, with the USA international already achieving so much in his career.

Hudson-Odoi 2.0: Nottingham Forest in talks to sign "outstanding" £35m star

Nottingham Forest are targeting attacking reinforcements

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 7, 2025

The midfielder has already made 153 appearances in La Liga and Serie A combined, as well as winning 47 caps for his country, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as “superb” in the past, too.

Forest need to add depth in the middle of the park, as they look to tackle both Premier League and European commitments this season, and Musah could be ideal, providing strong competition for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Nicilas Dominguez.

USA

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England Under-18s

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England Under-17s

9

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England Under-16s

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England Under-15s

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The American is still so young, despite already picking up a huge amount of experience, and he would feel like a statement signing by Nuno’s side, having made seven Champions League appearances for Milan last season.